Nuke proposal “in jest”
Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 - Posted by Rich Miller
* State Rep. Aaron Schock now claims that his goofy idea to sell nuclear missiles to Taiwan was “in jest.”
On Tuesday, he told the Journal Star editorial board, “When I made the statement, the tone in which I made it was more in jest.”
After he made the comment, his campaign manager told the press that it was a “deeply thought-out policy,” but the ensuing uproar forced Schock to back down. Reaction to his latest twist in reasoning was, understandably, not favorable…
“It’s irresponsible, it’s reckless and it’s downright frightening to discuss nuclear warfare in jest,” said Matt Bisbee, spokesman for Jim McConoughey, one of Schock’s opponents. “It’s unbelievable to me that you can discuss something with such severe consequences in a campaign for U.S. Congress in jest. It just doesn’t make any sense and screams irresponsibility. That is absolute poor judgment.” […]
“It all seems a little slippery. I don’t care what he calls it, I just wish he would stick with one story,” said John Morris, who is also seeking the GOP nod for the 18th Congressional District seat being vacated by Ray LaHood. “Congress is a big job, and what you say matters and has an impact on the safety and security of the American people.”
* Regardless of the hooplah, Schock is still considered the frontrunner and scored a major endorsement this week…
The Sangamon County GOP is getting behind state Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, for the U.S. House seat in the 18th Congressional District. […]
“I guess one of the things you have to take into account is that all of the polls that we have looked at and studied indicate that he … is in the lead and will probably win the nomination,” [party chairman Tony Libri] said.
“It was a tough decision, because I’ve got to tell you, I like the other two candidates very much.”
* More congressional stuff…
* Biggert challenger downplays ‘04 arrest
* Predictions on Hastert, Weisner, and Oberweis
* WurfWhile: Chris Lauzen Celebrates Pastoral With Dead Cows In Jim Oberweis Hit Piece IL-14
* Laesch handouts on Oberweis investments in China
* Right-hand men: A look at the 18th District GOP primary’s campaign chiefs
* 11th CD GOP candidate Jimmy Lee kicks off district campaign tour
* Seals, Footlik tell differences at 1st debate
* 8th District candidates spar on education
...By the way… I should have pointed out earlier today that the reporter who wrote the “in jest” story is one I’ve criticized in the past for being too easy on Schock. This time, she did one heckuva good job. Welcome to the game.
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:06 am:
Didn’t Schock originally claim he’d put a great deal of thought into his plan to give non-existent medium range nukes to Taiwan?
He’s starting to sound like he has a problem telling the truth.
Why can’t he just admit that his first statements were more of an emotional reaction to frustration with China’s position on Iran? And now he’s realized that he shouldn’t speak on foreign policy based on emotions.
Tell the truth and move on. But no, Wunder Kin has to keep digging his hole deeper pretending he didn’t make a mistake.
Isn’t there something intrinsically cowardly about not being able to admit to mistakes, especially obvious ones?
- Ghost - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:13 am:
Nothing schremes I am a serious political member in the United States like a good old joke expressed to the press without a punch line about the sale of Nuclear weapons to an ally whose existance as a country is hotly contested.
I am not sure which comment indetifies his utter inability for the position, the attempt to start a modern day cuban missle crisis; or the back peddle attempt to describe it as a joke. Can one person demonstrate more leadership incomeptence? Now all we need is for him to wamr up the cold war by threatening military action against Russia for a nice tri fecta.
- Gene Parmesan - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:19 am:
With all this talk about voters wanting “change” in Washington, it’s nice to see a young candidate who still embodies the traditional political foundations of lying through your teeth. Schock has shown us all he’s willing to embrace what has made the Republican Party so successful throughout the Bush administration, like poorly thought out foreign policy, and an unwillingness to admit a mistake. Outstanding.
- Pot calling kettle - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:20 am:
Joking about nukes is rather Reaganesque. It’s an appeal to the base.
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:22 am:
So if Schock was joking when he supported nukes for Taiwan, was he also joking when he supported Rudy Giuliani for President?
- SangamoGOP - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:27 am:
Not all in Sang Co GOP back the endorsement of the kid. The nuke ‘joke’ was made during his announcement tour which consisted of 20+ pages of prepared comments. If this was a joke, what other jokes did he tell when he announced?
- NimROD - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:28 am:
“Can one person demonstrate more leadership incompetence?”
I hear there’s this guy in the Illinois governors’ office…..
- GOPer - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:29 am:
How could Republicans there possibly nominate Schock? He’s clearly not ready for prime time.
He needs to get some experience working in the real world.
- Ghost - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:32 am:
SangamoGOP, perhaps he also intended his anouncment as a canidate to be a joke and he is not really running.
- NimROD - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:32 am:
“How could Republicans there possibly nominate Schock?”
Please…we nominated Alan Keyes. We don’t exactly have a great record lately of running sterling individuals for state office. The Illinois GOP is in desperate need of total overhaul.
- GOPer - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:37 am:
Touché NimROD.
- Squideshi - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 10:57 am:
Nukes to Taiwan? Ha ha. Very funny.
- jerry 101 - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 11:04 am:
hahhahahahhaha!!!!
world war III!!! what a gas!!!!
hahhahahahha
nuclear winter!!!! Bwahhahahaha
god, the kid should book a night at Zanies!
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 11:20 am:
SO -
Did you hear the one about the idiot running for Congress from Peoria?
He recommends selling nuclear arms that no longer exist to Taiwan so that the Chinese feel a need to pressure Iran!!
BUT HE WAS JOKING!!
Punchline?
So the guy asks, “Whats the name of that crazy idea?”
And Schrock says, “The Aristocrats!”
- Anonymous - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 11:47 am:
Since he seems to be the annointed one, hopefully he actually learned a very valuable lesson (even if he won’t acknowledge it).
Since he doesn’t actually know everything, he would be wise to be quiet and careful on complex issues for the next decade and spend more time listening and learning.
This is really tough for a young male at serious risk of becoming addicted to power and abusing it.
Fortunately, there’s 434 other votes in the House, but that’s getting awfully close to the Presidency and the button.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 12:36 pm:
Schock is younger than me. While I personally like him and think he would be a good Congressman in an overall sense, I grow tired of the under 30 crowd who would never actually sign up for military duty or volunteer to fight overseas yet have no problem supporting an endless supply of bank notes/funny money to fund wartime activities and people my age to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I was at Aaron’s announcement in Springfield and his continuous spiel on foreign affairs, nukes, Iraq and Reaganized defense spending grated on me. Those issues are important, but there are other pressing matters currently facing the 18th CD and Centrali Illinois.
- Vole - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 1:13 pm:
Schock was under the mistaken impression that Taiwan was part of the crazily gerrymandered 18th and that he was only attempting to embellish his credentials for the US Senate a bit prematurely.
What kind of degree did Mr. Schock earn in his two years of college (as featured in his campaign ads)?
- phocion - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 1:49 pm:
A few things politicians shouldn’t joke about:
1. The Disabled.
2. Minorities.
3. Nuclear Weapons.
- Carl Nyberg - Thursday, Jan 10, 08 @ 4:07 pm:
At least Reagan’s joke about bombing the Soviet Union (with nukes) was actually a joke.
- Bookworm - Friday, Jan 11, 08 @ 9:08 am:
Next thing you know, we’ll find out that Schock’s entire campaign was actually a dream, or the figment of a kid’s imagination, and didn’t exist (as happened on Dallas and St. Elsewhere)